Terence Crawford wants ALL 140lb titles before moving to 147

[Ruthless-RKO]

WBC/WBO light welterweight champion Terence Crawford (29-0, 20 KOs) will be making a simple defense of his titles against John Molina (29-6, 21 KOs) on December 10 on HBO Boxing. The fans weren’t too pleased with this selection of the 33-year-old Molina as Crawford’s next opponent, because some of them want to see him move up to welterweight to take on the tougher guys like Keith Thurman, Kell Brook, Manny Pacquiao.

Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia and Errol Spence Jr. However, Crawford says he’s NOT going to be moving up in weight to the 147lb division until he captures all four of the 140lb titles in the light welterweight division. Needless to say, it might take Crawford some time before he accomplishes that goal.

”I’ll move up after I get that WBA and IBF. So the sooner they fight me the sooner you will see me at welterweight,” said Crawford on his social media site.

You have to wonder whether Crawford feels that he’s up to it in moving to the welterweight division at 147. Maybe it’s safer for Crawford to stay at 140 and be a big fish in a small pond than to move up to the 147lb division and end up being just one of the many contenders without the needed physical assets to beat the best.

[bnovelist]

I'm not buying that there are no more meaningful fights at @ 140 other than Broner. If he can't secure a Broner fight which I doubt then its time to

move up in weight. Sounds like to he's scared of Errol Spence, Porter, and Thurman. Even Robert Guerrero would be a stiff test for him in his new

weight class. Can't fool me he's not ready for that challenge. The same way Jon Bones Jones refuses to move up to heavyweight.

[boxing_rocks]

If it is important for Crawford to collect all belts at the weight he feels comfortable, he should do that. He is young enough to be in no hurry to move up, as WW will likely be his final weight class.

[gilgamesh]

He'll be at 147 soon enough. I don't mind if he takes his time at 140 for a while. Though having already beaten Postol there's not a whole of other intriguing fights at that weight class at the moment. 140 is usually a pretty loaded division, but it's kinda shallow right now.

[BAD INTENTIONS]

Why aren't people clamoring for Broner/Crawford?
If Gamboa was able to land, I think Broner can too.
If Gamboa can hurt Crawford, Broner can too.
But, Crawford is a better fighter.

I think if people can separate Broner from his ill-advised 147 pound appearances and his antics,
they'd see the PDL nonsense and total dominance.

Would be a good fight too.

[gilgamesh]

Why aren't people clamoring for Broner/Crawford?
If Gamboa was able to land, I think Broner can too.
If Gamboa can hurt Crawford, Broner can too.
But, Crawford is a better fighter.

I think if people can separate Broner from his ill-advised 147 pound appearances and his antics,
they'd see the PDL nonsense and total dominance.

Would be a good fight too.

I'm not clamoring to see Broner in any particularly big fight because I don't think he's that level of fighter, and I think it's been proven. Crawford would beat him via lopsided decision or possibly a late TKO. I don't think Broner is able to make much of a competitive fight of it against someone as talented as Crawford.

Broner is fighting Granados in February or something, and I think that's a 50/50 fight.

[davie]

Can he succeed at 147?

It is a big ask as there is some quality there but there is absolutely no doubt he could pick up titles there, the guys is first class

it will depend largely on who he fights and how he is matched as there are a couple of risky potential opponents.

I still rate him more highly than Spence, although the natural size difference would be a leveller

[gilgamesh]

I have no doubt that TC can and will succeed at 147. He may suffer his first loss of his career at that weight, but he'll certainly get some more marquee wins on his record there as well.

[Best Coast]

I have no doubt that TC can and will succeed at 147. He may suffer his first loss of his career at that weight, but he'll certainly get some more marquee wins on his record there as well.

Agreed. I could see him going 3-1 vs Thurman, Garcia, Brook and Spence though I'm not sure which one would beat him. I could see TC beating Garcia most easily and consider the rest 50/50 fights.

[gilgamesh]

I have no doubt that TC can and will succeed at 147. He may suffer his first loss of his career at that weight, but he'll certainly get some more marquee wins on his record there as well.

Agreed. I could see him going 3-1 vs Thurman, Garcia, Brook and Spence though I'm not sure which one would beat him. I could see TC beating Garcia most easily and consider the rest 50/50 fights.

I doubt Brook returns to 147 honestly. I'd favor him over Garcia, Thurman and Spence, but they'd all be interesting opponents for him. I'm with ya that Thurman and Spence are tougher matchups than Garcia.

We're still not clear how good Spence really is because we still haven't seen him against World Class opposition, but he certainly looks like the goods. I'm pretty confident Crawford could beat Garcia or Thurman.

[Boxing Prospect]

Crawford vs Troyanovsky wouldn't be a terrible option, don't want to see him fight Burns though

[lefty]

Crawford vs Troyanovsky wouldn't be a terrible option, don't want to see him fight Burns though

Burns is washed up and Crawford was always in a different league anyway. I think Crawford would probably box Troyanovky's head off but the latter does have power atleast.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Crawford vs Troyanovsky wouldn't be a terrible option, don't want to see him fight Burns though

Exactly. It's not like Troyanovsky will be some voluntary defence.. he's got one off the 140 belts, well 2 if you consider IBO.

[Enlightened-One]

Terence Crawford wants ALL 140lb titles before moving to 147

This is old news.

When Crawford beat Postol, a lot of people on this forum were considering the possibility that the Hunter could possibly be the best 147lb-er on the planet, despite having never even fought at weight.

Around a week after the Crawford-Postol bout, I posted an article where Terence himself said that he was unwilling to face Pacquiao at 147lbs, with the Filipino legend also claiming that his political duties would prevent him from making 140lbs.

So if Terence Crawford has repeatedly stated that he had no intention of fighting at 147lbs in the short-term, then why does his intention to unify the light welterweight division come as such a shock?

[BAD INTENTIONS]

I'm not clamoring to see Broner in any particularly big fight because I don't think he's that level of fighter, and I think it's been proven. Crawford would beat him via lopsided decision or possibly a late TKO. I don't think Broner is able to make much of a competitive fight of it against someone as talented as Crawford.

Broner is fighting Granados in February or something, and I think that's a 50/50 fight.

You are buggin.

Broner took punches and physical abuse from Maidana and Porter for 24 rounds.
He ended both fights stronger than those two.

So it's been proven that Kell Brook would lose to good fighters at 147 and 154 because of the GGG fight?
As stupid as that sounds, you are saying the same thing about Broner.

[gilgamesh]

I'm not clamoring to see Broner in any particularly big fight because I don't think he's that level of fighter, and I think it's been proven. Crawford would beat him via lopsided decision or possibly a late TKO. I don't think Broner is able to make much of a competitive fight of it against someone as talented as Crawford.

Broner is fighting Granados in February or something, and I think that's a 50/50 fight.

You are buggin.

Broner took punches and physical abuse from Maidana and Porter for 24 rounds.
He ended both fights stronger than those two.

So it's been proven that Kell Brook would lose to good fighters at 147 and 154 because of the GGG fight?
As stupid as that sounds, you are saying the same thing about Broner.

I also thought Broner deserved no better than a draw against Paulie Malignaggi and should've lost the decision to Daniel Ponce De Leon. I've never been overly impressed with him. Aggressive fighters particularly shut him down. I think Crawford would beat him in lopsided fashion. I'm very confident in it in fact, and I wouldn't be shocked at all if Granados beats him. Granados took a pounding from Amir Imam early and came back to beat him up, Granados is a game, and tough fighter. He's no walk in the park for Broner, and it's certainly not a given that Broner wins that fight.

[Evander]

A Crawford v Broner fight would generate some interest at 140 that's for sure.
Long term for Crawford at 147 is difficult to say without knowing how he intends doing it, he could blast into the division and take on a known name which is risky or he could test the waters against boxers with lower ranked credentials.
Say he managed to line up Broner at 140 and then took on one or two lower ranked Welterweights, if it doesn't go according to plan at 147 go straight back to 140.
The money is at 147 which is why I think sooner or later he's going to move up there on a more permanent basis.

[crusader]

Why aren't people clamoring for Broner/Crawford?
If Gamboa was able to land, I think Broner can too.
If Gamboa can hurt Crawford, Broner can too.
But, Crawford is a better fighter.

I think if people can separate Broner from his ill-advised 147 pound appearances and his antics,
they'd see the PDL nonsense and total dominance.

Would be a good fight too.

Broner is good, I think underrated, but at 140 he struggled with Emanuel Taylor and didn't look so hot against Theophane. I also doubt that weight was an issue in his competitive win against Paulie, who himself had recently moved up and was probably the smaller man in the ring.

He's still top fighter at LWW, but he hasn't been a totally dominant one. I suspect that Craw would beat him fairly comfortably, although I'd rather see that bout than Craw vs Molina/Troyanovsky/Burns/etc.